Page 40 of Relentless
Well, she wasn’tjustwatching the world go by.
She also had a pad of paper in front of her with the list of the remaining teammates who were still stateside. Lucky, Astrid, Evelyn, Peter, and Shane. She’d hesitated to add Lucky since her sister said the man hadn’t taken the news well when HICC spoke to him that morning. But in the end, she left him on. He might be heading to Mexico to stay safe, as he said. That could have easily been a ploy, though. She didn’t want to think it, but his tripcouldbe more about fleeing than his personal safety.
A soft knock sounded at the door. Ethan was still napping, so rather than call out for the visitor to come in, she rose and answered.
“Cody!” she said. “I didn’t think we’d see you again today. Except onstage.” She stepped out of the bus and glanced around. She didn’t see Cass or Mazi, but she thought she caught a glimpse of Cass’s red hair around the back of the bus.
“I wanted to bring you these,” he said, dropping two lanyards into her hand. At the end of each was a pass marked “Crew/VIP.” Her picture was on one and Ethan’s the other. “They should get you anywhere you want to be, but I’ll have Buster, my stage manager, show you the best spots.”
“Thank you,” she said, impulsively wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a tight hug. He hugged her back, his arms encircling her shoulders and pulling her close. Like most of the Warwicks, he was an excellent hugger.
“Don’t go getting yourself killed, now,” he said, still holding her. “You and Ethan finally found each other. And it’s going to be damn entertaining to watch you wrap him around your little finger.”
She snorted a laugh and stepped back. “I have no interest in wrapping him around my little finger.”
“Of course you don’t,” Cody said, insincerity shining in his eyes.
“There are much better places I’d rather have him wrapped around,” she added. Cody threw his head back and laughed.
“I like the sound of that,” Ethan said from behind her. She turned to see him standing at the top of the stairs inside the bus. “Are you just getting back?” he asked, directing the question to Cody. It was two o’clock in the afternoon and they’d been up since before five. Not a bad day, but Cody’s was a long way from being over.
He nodded. “I’m heading to my place now to nap before the show. I wanted to drop those off, though.” He gestured with his head to the lanyards she held. Then without another word, he kissed Kara’s cheek, lifted a hand to Ethan, and turned toward his bus. A few seconds later, he disappeared inside.
She hoped he really did have a chance to nap. Country music stars might do everything in their power to project a laid-back, slower pace of life, but she knew it couldn’t be easy. She was looking forward to watching Cody perform, but she didn’t envy his life.
“Come on inside,” Ethan said, drawing her attention. “I saw your notes sitting on the table—want to talk about it?” He held out his hand, and she set her palm in it, then climbed the stairs into the bus.
“They aren’t much,” she said. “I went over everything that happened on the trip already. But I thought maybe I’d remember something, or some idea would come to me, if I jotted down what I know about thepeople. At least the five that are left.”
“It’s a good idea. Let’s walk through it. Before we do, though, any updates from your sister or Chad?” Rather than sit at the banquette, he took a seat on the couch and stretched his leg out.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
He bobbed his head from side to side. “Mostly, no. Mostly it’s just a dull ache that’s more annoying than anything else.”
“But not now?”
He shot her a rueful smile. “As enjoyable as our encounter in the shower was before our nap, I’m not sure it was advisable. And before you point out that you told me so before we even started, you should know that I 100 percent believe that the consequences are averysmall price to pay for that experience. I will never look at a showerhead the same again.”
She huffed a laugh. “Incorrigible,” she muttered.
“Insatiable. When it comes to you,” he countered.
“Which I’m very happy about. However, the doctor in me feels the need to point out two things. First, if you reinjure your leg, you will be sidelined from work for a good long while.”
“Worth it if it means we get more time together. And bonus because it will be paid, too,” he interjected.
She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t hide her smile. “Well, this second thing might change your tune. If you reinjure your leg, it will also mean that any chance of a repeat performance in any shower will be out of the question.” His eyes narrowed at that reality, but he remained silent. “Now,” she continued, “what would you like for lunch?”
He grinned.
“That’s not me,” she added.
His grin fell. “Fine,” he said on an exhale. “Whatever is easy.”
“Sandwich?” she asked. He nodded.
It was a sign of how much his legwasbothering him that he didn’t offer to make his own lunch. She knew he struggled to let her do things for him. But sometimes life didn’t give a person a choice but to ask others for help.
